Love is Just a Four Letter Word
by persistentxwishes
Summary: Ashley still has feelings for Craig, Craig still has feelings for Ashley. Can they work out their relastionship without a sadistic Manny getting in the way? R&R! Rating changed because it didn't make it as an R rated story!
1. Forgiveness is Hard

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Degrassi: the Next Generation! So although you may be tempted, DON'T SUE ME!  
  
Love...It's a difficult word to say, especially to the one you want to love. I thought I had found love, but love stabbed me in the back......  
  
The cool breeze came in from my window; I sat in my bed, my mind running with thoughts about him. How he broke my heart, how I wanted desperately to kill him. But still I found myself thinking of him, and how no matter how badly I wanted to kill him, I still loved him. I sighed and turned over, wanting nothing more than to keep him out of my head for good. I woke up in a funk, I hadn't slept well for the third night in a row, and I was late. "Shit!" I screamed as I fumbled out of bed frantically searching for clothes. I ran downstairs, Toby was already gone, and my parents were already at work. I stopped in my kitchen and grabbed a banana. There was a late note on the table, gee mother knows best. I didn't have time for that now.  
  
I ran up to the main desk, "Late again Miss Kerwin," the secretary had a note all filled out and held it out to me. I snatched it and ran to my locker. Smack!! I ran into someone, and hard. "Why don't you watch where the fu..." I was about to scream into the asshole's face who ran into me, but then I saw who it was...him. "Ashley? I'm so sorry, let me help you," he said it so innocent, but I couldn't make it seem like I still didn't hate him for being a horny bastard. "No! I'm fine." I snapped, I grabbed my bag and ran to my locker, "Ash, wait we need to talk!" he yelled after me his voice echoing down the hallway. Craig, wanting to talk to me, he wanted to reason, I knew him the best. He was always willing to reason, and work things out, and be Mr. Nice. Tears began to burn in my eyes as I furiously spun my lock. I unlatched it, and flung my bag inside. I grabbed my books, and went to home room.  
  
After a 5 minute lecture from Ms. Kwan I actually got into school mode, but when the bell rang, I was in a different mode. I went to my locker, and Craig was there. I went up to my locker, acting like he wasn't there at all, spinning away at my lock. "Ashley, we need to talk, I now you want to...fucking kill me, believe me I would too, but please hear me out." I just looked at him, "Now you want me to hear you out? I loved you Craig, I LOVED YOU! And, you...you just threw me away, like I was nothing, like I wasn't good enough to get pregnant!" His jaw dropped, he didn't want to be reminded to the big-P ever again. That was the biggest mistake he ever made in his life, and he knew it. "Listen," he hissed, "I'm an asshole, YOU HEAR ME DEGRASSI!? I CRAIG MANNING AM AN ASSHOLE!!!" I laughed quickly, but stopped because I didn't want his charm to get to me. "I still love you Ashley, and I know you do too, I can see it." I couldn't take it, I reached out, and did the unexpected I kissed him, like we were the only one around, like all of the cheating and horror of our entire relationship didn't even happen. I stepped away, and wiped my lips, "We'll talk later okay?" All he could do was nod, he stood there stunned. I walked away, smiling, and it was the first time I had in a long time. 


	2. Loving You

Lunch, I'm pretty sure I would get it then, if not from Terri, definitely Paige. I sat, and they stared at me as I began eating my "Sheila Burger". "What?" I said with my mouth full of food. "You can't just...forgive him like that Ash," Paige hissed. She didn't understand I could if I wanted to; she wasn't in love like I was. "I really have NO idea what you're talking about Michalchuk." She glared at me. "We say you and that foul thing kissing in the hallway!" she yelled. "Don't play dumb Ashley, you obviously still have feelings for Craig," Ellie said. I was tired of being lectured, by everyone! "Okay listen to me Paige! When my life becomes your business I'll tell you, but right now stop butting in and being a bitch!" Terri, Hazel, and Elli gasped. "He was sweet, and called himself an asshole to the entire school, so you know what? I love him, that's right, I Ashley Kerwin Love Craig Manning! And if you don't like that, too damn bad for you." Paige stared at me, not mad, not upset, just...blank. Then she burst into tears, "I just don't want him to hurt you Ash!" I just stared at her, she cared I know, but she wasn't my mom, I would be fine, that's why we needed to talk. "I know, but just let me go my own way." We finished lunch in silence.  
  
Craig waited for me at my locker after school. "I was thinking," he said "Maybe I should come over, so we can work things out?" I smiled at him, "Okay." When we got to my house Toby's jaw dropped when Craig walked in. "Ashley, can I talk to you?" he asked. We both walked over to the next room. "Why is he here?!" Toby hissed. "We need to talk, about....us." I innocently replied. "He's a pervert!" Toby was upset so I told it right to him, "Toby mind your own damn business!" I stomped off back into the kitchen. "Let's go," and Craig and I walked up to my bed room. We walked in and sat on my bed. "Ashley," he reached over and grabbed my hand. "I'm so sorry about what happened between us, with me getting Manny pregnant, and you wanting to axe-murder me..." I put me fingers on his lips. "Craig, I...I loved you, you broke my heart, I wanted us to be...perfect. But when you thought I wasn't going to, and you went to Manny, that hurt the worst. Knowing that you wanted to fuck a 9th grader, just to get over me... hurt. That was the only reason, not you getting her pregnant, just that you wanted her more." A tear rolled down my cheek, and Craig wiped it off. "I wanted you, and I still do." We embraced each other, and he kissed me, a kiss so gentle, so pure. We both rolled back onto my bed holding each other, wanting nothing more than to have that moment all to ourselves....forever. My shirt went off, then his, and before I knew it, I was on top of him, moaning, and making love to him. He was so gentle; he was holding me, making me feel like I was the only one for him. It was magical, the moment I had wanted for so long. It all seemed right.  
  
I woke up the next morning, my head on his chest; I could hear his heart beating it was so calm, and I wanted to stay there forever. I looked up at him, the sunlight was just pouring into my room. His eyes opened slowly, he looked down at me, and took my hand which was around his waist, and kissed it. "I love you Ashley Kerwin," he whispered. "I love you Craig Manning," I whispered back. We kissed, and got dressed quietly, and kept looking at each other smiling. I was happy my parents were gone on a business trip, they would have suspected something. We walked downstairs, grabbed our stuff, and headed over to "The Dot" for breakfast, before we headed to school. 


	3. Why?

The first half of the day was a blur, Craig and I headed to lunch, hand-in- hand. Whispers scattered everywhere, we were back, and with a vengeance. We both sat down, and Paige, Terri, Ellie, Spinner, Hazel, and Jimmy stared at us. "What?" We both asked. "Nothing, it's just...um...are you guys, back together?" Spinner asked uneasily. "Yeah," Craig said smiling, "You might say that." They all understood now, we were inseparable, and they continued their lunch like nothing was out of the ordinary. At the end of the day we both headed outside, and Manny was there, watching us. We both uneasily walked away from Degrassi, and prepared for our weekend.  
  
Craig and I were happy now, but Manny began to leave Craig messages, asking him why he hasn't called, or if he has things of hers, she began to creep us out. We would see her everywhere we were, acting like it was all coincidental. I went home one day after school alone, Craig had band practice with Marco, Spinner, and Jimmy today, and so, we couldn't walk home together. I was about to turn on to my street when I heard a car come speeding down the road, then I saw black.....  
  
If you want to find out what happens, I should have a sequel out in about 2 or 3 days. 


End file.
